Submitted by Arthur Pontynen, Jan 24, 2008 09:32

True enough, Church vacillates between positivism and pietism, but is that not only his problem - but ours as well?

The materialist and the mystic share a common ground: sensual experience. They focus on what is felt.

Therefore they also share a denial of rational form - in the sense of cosmic rational truth or Logos or what Plato called Form.

Lacking objective Logos, or Form, there is only fact, feeling, and logos - or mere human rational consistency. And theres the rub: in the context of mere logos truly significant form cannot be obtained.

The Modernist fascination with significant form is hollow since it lacks any ground in reality. So culture and fine art collapse and a brutal Postmodern focus on authenticity takes its place.

Perhaps both Cole and Church should have read more closely those such as Jonathan Edwards (and others) who saw this coming and sought for an American alternative to a collapsing European tradition.

And so should we.

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